Montana · Hiking

Canoe Trail Return

2.7 mi
round trip
13 ft
climb
4,024 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May, Jul–Sep
best months

Is Canoe Trail Return open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Lolo National Forest.

  • East Fork Big Creek Road & Trail Closure- Superior Ranger District

    Agency alert covering Lolo National Forest · Order 26-003- · USFS · Lolo National Forest

As of · Source: USFS · Lolo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Canoe Trail Return is a 2.7-mile out-and-back hike on natural surface in the Seeley Lake Ranger District of Lolo National Forest in Montana. The trail rises about 13 feet from a low of roughly 4,000 feet to a high of about 4,024 feet, making it a short route with little elevation change. It's rated moderate and is managed by the Forest Service, with trailhead parking at the Seeley Lake Ranger Station Trailhead. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Seeley Lake put July and August highs around 83°F with lows in the low 40s, while winter highs stay near freezing. The trail is open year-round, and the Seeley Lake Ranger Station Trailhead is the starting point. Bikes are allowed on the route. Theme Meadow Cutoff lies just 0.4 miles away, and Tamaracks Trail A and Smurf Hill are within a mile for mountain bikers. Seeley Lake Campground Complex is about 1.4 miles off.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May, Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit Canoe Trail Return

    Best months: May and July–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      32° / 12°

      15 wet

    2. Feb

      37° / 13°

      12 wet

    3. Mar

      45° / 20°

      12 wet

    4. Apr

      54° / 27°

      11 wet

    5. May

      65° / 34°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      72° / 41°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      83° / 44°

      8 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 43°

      7 wet

    9. Sep

      73° / 36°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      56° / 29°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      40° / 21°

      14 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / 13°

      16 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Seeley Lake Rs, MT, 0.1 mi away at 4,100 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.